Finding Home and Keeping It
by ArtisteFish
Summary: She had thought leaving her family in the Hundred Acre Wood was the hard part; but now that she's on her own and bound for the south, Kessie starts to wonder where it is she truly belongs. ON HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

Finding Home and Keeping It: Chapter 1

Her wings weren't strong enough.

She flapped and flapped against the wind, the currents fighting her with each flap she took. Leaves and other debris blew past her and into her face, but she fought that too, using her instincts to dodge the obstacles. The tiny red scarf Piglet had given her whipped wildly behind her head, and she worried that it would fly off; but it held tight and kept back a bit of the cold from the new winter winds.

It was a struggle just to fly forward. The cold was numbing her wings and her mind, causing her thoughts to drift, making her remember warm nights by a fire being cuddled by safe, furry arms.

She dipped in flight for a moment, and then righted herself. She shook her head clear, her blue feathers bristling as they met another burst of icy wind.

'Come on Kessie!' she chided herself, 'You know you can do this. You were made for flying – Owl said so!' She spread her wings wider and glided, riding the winds in a burst of confidence. 'This is what you've wanted for so long! Don't waste all that work now!' There was a lull in the wind and she sped forward, gaining some ground. But just as soon as it had disappeared the wind was back, stronger than before. It blew her off track and she fell, diving for a moment before spreading her wings and swooping back up into a southerly course.

Kessie continued in this manner, struggling against the air currents, dodging leaves and fighting dust in her eyes, until the sun began to sink and the world beneath her turned gold and black.

Watching the tree tops below her, Kessie decided it was time to rest for the night; so she swooped low and entered the canopy through a sparse patch of leaves. There were plenty of places available to roost in the branches, since she was still a very small bird, but she didn't stop just yet. She hadn't found the right place.

Despite having been on her own a few days already, she was still unaccustomed to sleeping in trees. A warm bed suited her much better, as did a glass of steamy herb tea which gave her cozy dreams.

After some searching Kessie managed to find a hollow fairly high in a tree trunk, filled with leaves and devoid of critters.

It was no rabbit hole, but it was slightly warmer than the outside air.

Having found shelter, she settled down under a bed of leaves and watched the shadows creep across the branches outside her makeshift dwelling.

Once more after starting her journey, she found she missed having a candle by her bed, and she felt her wings curl around a pile of leaves which acted as a poor replacement for the cuddly cloth of her toy bunny she had left at her home in the Hundred Acre Woods.

And once more, she gazed out at the slivers of sky she could glimpse through the leaves, and wished and wished she had someone to read her a bedtime story – someone she was sure, miles and miles away, was wishing he could read her a bedtime story too. With a longing look at the moonlit world outside, she whispered "G'night Rabbie", before shutting her eyes tight and imagining Rabbit's voice saying "Goodnight Kessie" as he gave her a kiss on the head and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>*Author's Note:<p>

This is a continuation of the "New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" episode "Find Her, Keep Her", based around the little Blue Jay Kessie who was rescued as a baby and raised by Rabbit. And I'm sorry to say that Rabbit won't be showing up in this story for a while. But there will be much mention of him, and he'll show up eventually! So please, stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 2

Almost two weeks into her journey, she finally hit warmth.

It was a different kind of warmth from what she had known in the Hundred Acre Wood; it was much stickier, and weighed her wings down more than she thought was good.

In fact she seemed to be losing altitude.

Kessie was a bright little bird and not afraid of adventure, but she found that as she dropped lower and lower, her worries rose higher and higher and it seemed she would have to make some decisions soon.

What was she supposed to do in the south?

Where was she supposed to go?

Was there some kind of home for birds to spend the winter months, or was she supposed to fend for herself until spring arrived?

She had never had to take care of herself before.

She was just starting to really panic, when suddenly she heard a whooshing sound beneath her, and a deep, female voice calling "Yoo-hoo! Hello there!"

Kessie stopped abruptly and flapped her wings hard to keep from falling as she looked back for the source of the voice.

What she saw was another bird – an older bird – with brown feathers and a white belly, and eyes that sparkled in the warm sunlight.

"Yoo-hoo!" she called again, "Well hi there little missy! And where might you be headed?"

She had pulled up alongside Kessie now, and was keeping time with her as she talked. Kessie was unsure what to do or how to respond – she didn't really know how to talk to strangers, since they didn't get many in the Hundred Acre Wood; but this new bird seemed friendly enough, so she decided to take a chance.

"Um, excuse me Ma'am, but I –"

"Oh, no, let me guess; you're flying down south for the winter. That right sugar?" She smiled cheekily at Kessie, already knowing what the answer would be.

Kessie nodded, smiling slightly at how the other bird was able to finish her thought.

"That's right, but, I don't really –"

"You don't really know where to go or what to do, since this is your first trip south?"

Kessie dipped her head in embarrassment, but nodded anyways. She had tried not to seem new or out of place, but apparently she was more transparent than she realized.

"Yeah, it's my first big flight, and… I don't really know where to go, so –"

"Well why didn't you say something' Dearie? I know just what you need; I've got a little place about a mile from here that I think you'll find fits your every need! There're quite a few young birds like yourself out and about this time of year, and they don't have a place to go either! So I help 'em out! Whaddaya say, you want a nice warm place to sleep, with lots of fine feathered friends and yummy things to eat?"

Kessie had been hanging on every word the brown bird had been saying, and when the invitation had come, she found herself nodding vigorously before she had even given her decision much thought.

As she followed the older bird down towards the trees however, she took a moment to ponder what had happened, and smiled sheepishly at the thought of how Rabbie would have reacted to her impulsiveness. He would have snatched her out of the air (if he could reach), given her a solid scolding on acting hastily and talking to strangers, and then would have proceeded to shoo this talkative new bird away with a broom for making impromptu invitations without proper protocol.

…..

They flew over the tops of the trees for a while, and Kessie noted just how wet the air seemed to be in this place, and how hot it seemed to be getting; back home they were probably in the middle of a blizzard.

The brown bird she had met, who introduced herself as Henny, had been chatting unceasingly since Kessie had joined her. She told the little blue-jay all about the forest they were over, near some place called 'floor-ee-da', and was explaining in detail about the types of plants and bugs in said forest and how exceptional they were to all other forests for miles around.

Kessie was only catching half of what Henny was saying, partly because of the wind rushing through her feathers and partly because she was distracted with her own thoughts; but suddenly Henny was gone from her line of view, and she was struck by a surge of panic.

She whipped her head around violently to see where the older bird had gone, and saw a blur of brown disappear into the canopy. She was soon to follow.

Once she was under the leaf cover, she was astonished by what she found.

There was a massive tree, dozens of feet from the forest floor, filled with bird houses.

There were dozens and dozens of houses of every shape and size, some with single rooms and others that looked like mansions. Some were ornate with different colors and had intricate molding on the edges, and others were more makeshift with twigs sticking out from the openings at odd angles.

Kessie landed on a branch nearby and stared, not sure what to think.

"Welcome to your new home, hun!" Henny sat on a branch near one of the largest mansions, extending her wing out wide towards it.

The little blue-jay hopped along the branch to get closer and peered inside. It was full of little straw beds and tiny blankets, and the walls were decorated with all sorts of paraphernalia. It looked like several birds lived there already.

Henny pushed Kessie forward lightly, saying "Now don't you worry hunny, we got lots of other wonderful girls staying here – you'll love them! – and all of us are ready and willing to help you out and get you adjusted to your new home!"

She really wasn't ready to call this house a home just yet, but nonetheless she gave Henny a smile and hopped inside, looking around for the best place to settle down.

She was more than ready for a good long nap.

And once Henny had fetched her some extra straw and a couple of blankets, she fell into a deep sleep before she could think to thank her new friend.

* * *

><p>*Author's Note:<p>

Okay, long overdue chapter.

But it's out now! So this story is really just getting started - it's going to have a lot going on, and although the first part is going to be pretty much one continuous amount of time, it's going to start getting more spread out. Eventually it's going to have some time jumps and include some other episodes of New Adventures, so just wait! There *will* be other Pooh characters showing up eventually! :3


	3. Chapter 3

Finding Home and Keeping It, Chapter 3

* * *

><p>Kessie awoke to a violent twittering, which seemed to bounce off the walls and ring in the air around her. Her feathered face scrunched up, trying to keep out the sunlight peeking in through cracks in the walls. For a moment Kessie wondered where she was, but soon memories of the day before surfaced.<p>

She was in the south, in a bird boarding home after receiving an invitation from a talkative bird who she had never met, having to live on her own until the winter months were over.

And she wasn't sure how many months that would be.

With curiosity bubbling up in her mind, Kessie opened her eyes… and was met with the sight of at least _a dozen _other young birds.

They were all talking and laughing loudly, some on floor nests such as Kessie's and others in perches high on the bird-house walls. There were all kinds of birds in the house around her, some brightly colored and others brown like Henny.

They seemed to be trying to outdo each other in volume and pitch, and some were gesturing wildly with their wings as they got more and more into whatever conversations it was they were having.

None of them seemed to have noticed Kessie yet, so she continued to watch them with vivid interest.

Living in the Hundred Acre Wood with Rabbit and the others had given her many wonderful opportunities, but her company there was limited; never had she been around so many birds, and what was more, so many younglings such as herself!

It was exciting and different, and Kessie found herself worrying less about what she was supposed to do here, and thinking more about how she might get to know these birds and become their friend.

She tentatively rose to her twig-like legs and brought her wing to her beak as she cleared her throat lightly.

"Um, excuse me!"

None of the birds heard her over the din of the room.

So she tried again.

"Excuse me!"

This time a few of the birds closer to her stopped their conversation and turned toward the new voice.

One, a squat red bird, cocked her head slightly and smiled brightly at Kessie.

"Well hi there! You're the new bird here, aren't ya?"

A bird next to her, tall and cream colored, flicked long feathers from her eyes and regarded Kessie curiously.

"New from where? I don't think I've seen any birds like you before."

"Yeah?" Said a swallow a few nests over, " I've seen tons of birds like her! Maybe it's because you're from over west… I don't think birds like her like the desert."

"What's wrong with the desert? Have you ever even been out west?"

"Well... no, but I like this climate just fine! And why are you down here again anyways? It's not cold in California!"

"Who says I need it to be cold somewhere to take a vacation?" The cream bird fluffed her feathers nonchalantly, continuing "I just wanted a change of scenery for the holidays. It's not like I have any family to spend the time with."

The swallow hung her head slightly, saying "Same here. I didn't have to leave for the winter, but why bother staying when there's no one to stay for?"

"Girls, you haven't even let the poor bird talk!"

Kessie smiled at the familiar voice and turned to see Henny squeezing her way in through one of the perch openings from outside.

"Why don't you introduce yourself hun?"

With a quick nod and a smile, Kessie said brightly "Hi everyone! My name is Kessie! This is my first time flying south!"

There was a chorus of "Hi Kessie!" and other pleasantries, and Kessie looked around the room with a bigger smile than she had worn in days.

"It's so nice to meet you!" Said the red bird, hopping over to where Kessie stood, "My name's Stephie!"

"And I'm Lulu!" Said the swallow from her perch, waving a wing happily at Kessie, "I've been down here for a while, though I actually live up north near – "

"Lulu, she doesn't need your life story," the cream-colored bird said, waving a wing in front of the swallow to shush her, "my name is Pearl. This is actually my second winter down here."

Kessie's eyes shot open in awe. "Wow, you must really know how to take care of yourself then!"

Pearl's feathers puffed up slightly with pride, her expression pleased as she said "Yes, I have gotten pretty used to my independence. I go where I want, when I want, and nothing holds me down!"

"Yet you're still here with all of us." Lulu quipped, hiding a satisfied grin as Pearl wheeled on her.

The pristine bird quickly regained her composure however, bringing a wing up to fix the feathers falling over her eyes as she said, "Yes, well, it's very convenient. And staying here allows me to better take care of my feathers and not have to worry about all the nasty creatures out there."

Lulu rolled her eyes, though her smile remained.

Pausing in her preening, Pearl glanced down at Kessie, who was still watching them all with rapt attention.

"So… Kessie? What's your story? How come Henny brought you here? No family to fly with?"

"Oh! Well…" Kessie paused for a moment, unsure of exactly how to tell her story, "I do have a family, but winter gets pretty cold and snowy back home, so I had to leave. Since I was flying all alone and didn't know where to go, Henny brought me here!"

Pearl only frowned in confusion at Kessie's response. "Why didn't you fly down with your family then?"

Kessie rubbed her feathers together self-consciously, saying hesitantly "Well the truth is… my actual family disappeared in a snow storm when I was born, but I was rescued, and have been living with my new family ever since! I… miss them, but I couldn't have stayed, and they couldn't have come with me. Especially not Rabbie – uh, Rabbit. He'd hate how warm and sticky it is down here!"

Kessie smiled as she thought, missing the shock growing on Pearl's face.

"Rabbit? A rabbit? You were raised by rabbits?!"

"Not only rabbits… lots of other animals too. Pretty much everyone who lived in our wood! But Rabbit… he's like a father to me…" 'He _is_ my father.' She thought to herself.

"What?! Yeesh, how would a rabbit raise a bird? I'm surprised you even know how to fly."

Kessie hung her head slightly, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment, not wanting to let on that she had only just recently acquired the skill.

"Oh come on Pearl!" Stephie spoke up, "It doesn't matter! She obviously turned out fine!"

Pearl rolled her eyes but said "I guess… it is pretty impressive, considering your circumstances, that you were able to make it down here on your own."

"Now now girls," Henny said loudly, bringing a wing up between Kessie and the other birds, "I want no more o' that. Kessie dear will be with us all winter, and I want y'all to take care of her and make her feel welcome. I want none of that mindless chirpin'."

Pearl was unfazed by Henny's reprimand, but Kessie smiled at her gratefully. She wasn't used to such catty attitudes, and welcomed a voice of order.

She was surprised though when Henny turned to face her, and began sternly "But dearie, while you're here you're gonna be doin' things the bird way. It'll just be easier if we can keep everything the same. And don't think too much about home. You'll be flying back there before you know it, so just enjoy being here while you can. Make some friends! Enjoy the freedom!"

Kessie smiled warily; she wanted to fit in and be like all the other birds, but she still missed the Hundred Acre Wood. She didn't want to forget it or her family there.

But Henny was right. She would be with Rabbie and the others again soon.

Right now was about her: about learning what it was to be a bird.

* * *

><p>*Author's Note:<p>

First of all, thank you so much to all those who reviewed, favorited, followed, or simply read this story! It means a lot!

I've been trying to get back to this story... I finally remembered what I had planned for it, so I should be able to finish it in a reasonable amount of time.

I've tried deadlines before though and they don't always work out, but... I might try again actually.

I dunno.

Anyways, this story isn't really meant to depict *actual* bird mannerisms or migration... uh... patterns, but I did try to do some research. So if there are any glaring inaccuracies, I apologize.


End file.
